


Number of Solutions

by rosi_oddbrew



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: #college au, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-04 12:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11555370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosi_oddbrew/pseuds/rosi_oddbrew
Summary: Vex snatches up the cute guy who just happened to sit behind her in Calculus to be her study buddy on her first day at Tal'Dorei University.





	1. Chapter 1

She was fifteen minutes early, the only person in an entire room. It had struck her as odd that the door to the classroom had been unlocked, that she could just walk right in. She was used to having to wait outside until the teacher showed up. But then again, this was college and everything was different now.

The whole room and she had her pick of any seat. Any desk was hers, and she had to pick the one in the very front, just left of center. She was eager and excited and a million other synonyms for hopeful, and Vex'ahlia Vessar couldn't wait for her very first college class to begin.

The other twenty four students slowly trickled in after ten minutes. Apparently at Tal'Dorei State University, one didn't arrive to class (especially a 9 am) until the very last second. The room filled in from the back forwards, as the others were apparently not as excited about Calculus as Vex was. That meant that the seat right behind her was one of the last ones to be occupied, going to a breathless boy with shocking white hair and a skateboard.

 _Allura_ , the TA scrawled on the white board in neat, even letters. Her email and office hour soon joined her name, followed by seven or so practice problems. "These should be review," the woman said, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind one ear. "Just a little refresher of Calc One before we get started on the new material. Anyone want to take a crack at the first one?"

Seeing no other volunteers, Vex confidently strode to the front of the room. She had always been good with numbers, which was why she was in Calculus she supposed. She didn't even need this class, as a Biology Major she only needed to take Calculus One, which she had taken at the community college during high school. But she loved the way numbers made sense and she had room on her schedule, so why not? Much to the amusement of her brother she had enrolled in Calc 2 'just for the laughs.'

The correct answered circled underneath a few lines of work, Vex'ahlia returned to her chair. She didn't pay much attention as the rest of the problems were solved by other volunteers, but after ten minutes the board was covered in math. Most of it was even right. "Ok, now I'm going to pass out this worksheet," Allura announced, handing stacks of paper to those in the front to be passed back. "This is a recitation section, so on most days I'll be reviewing what you learn in lecture and then giving you a worksheet to do. The worksheets are classwork, not homework, which means you'll hand them in to me on your way out. Since you haven't had a lecture yet, there isn't anything for me to review. I suggest you work in small groups of two or three. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Vex retrieved a pencil from her bag, the idea of working in a group making her a little nervous. In high school she had always been a bit of a loner, choosing to work alone whenever possible. Her brother was, of course, the exception to this rule. She didn't want to approach anyone, but that proved not to be much of a problem. A finger tapped her shoulder, causing the young woman to turn around in her chair.

"Hey," the man with the strange white hair said. "I'm Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, but you can call me Percy. Care to bang this thing out together?" He smiled at her expectantly, and Vex was immediately struck by how attractive he was.

"Absolutely darling," Vex gave him a wink and turned her chair around all the way. "My name is Vex'ahlia, but you can call me Vex." 

They sat in silence for a moment, filling out their names and starting to work on the first problem. It became immediately clear that neither of them really needed the other's assistance. "So, where are you from? What's your major?" Percy said, reciting the two questions that seemed to be everyone's go-to ice breaker. 

"I'm from Byroden," Vex replied, which solicited a raised eyebrow. "And I'm a biology major. You?"

"Why is a bio major in Calc 2?" Percy asked with a laugh.

"Because I like it?" Vex shook her head and smiled. "I don't know, math was always my favorite subject in school and I didn't want to go to college without a single calc class."

"Fair," the man replied. "I'm from... Well, you're from out-of-state, so I doubt you'll know the place. I'm from a little town way to the north past the Alabaster Sierras called Whitestone." His remark was met with a blank nod, as Vex had no idea where either the Alabaster Sierras or Whitestone was. Percy decided it was best to drop that particular line of conversation in favor of his second question. "And I'm majoring in Mechanical Engineering."

For the rest of the hour, the two chatted as they worked. The time flew by, and before they knew it 9:50 rolled around and it was time for their next class. "We should study sometime," Vex handed him her phone, a blank contact screen already pulled up and waiting for Percy to fill out. He obliged, handing her back his newly-entered phone number.

Vex grinned to herself as she raced out of the classroom, running to the coffee place she and her brother had agreed to meet up at after their first classes. "Vax!" she called out to her easily spotted twin. Her brother was her best friend, and she couldn't wait to see him again. In the lottery that was room assignment, Vex had ended up in the building far away from Vax's hall. While hers was on the far West side of campus, his was in the southeast corner. It meant that even though they were at the same school, they were farther away from each other than they had ever been. The separation made them both feel lonely, so they were eager to spend every minute outside of class together. That was why they had meticulously planned out their schedules so that they had the optimal amount of time to see each other. That meant that on Mondays at 9:50, they would meet up at the coffee shop and walk from this part of campus to the other side.

"Hey Stubby," Vax embraced his sister. There wasn't much time for hugs, they both had class at ten so this particular meet-up would have to happen while they walked. "How was calc?"

"Amazing!" Vex grinned. "Can you believe this place? Even the nerds in calculus are hot." They both laughed, falling into step with each other. It was fantastic to be able to share this adventure with their other half, and they couldn't wait to see what adventures Tal'dorei State would bring.

Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan were just getting started.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Fancy seeing you here," Vex practically jumped in her seat at the unexpected greeting. She had been so focused on her computer that the rest of the dining hall had fallen away around her, and she hadn't noticed a familiar man with white hair sneak up on you. But there was Percy, holding a tiny plate of salad in one hand and an omelet in the other. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course," Vex said, closing her laptop and pushing it a little to the side. She was surrounded by eight plates with different dishes on them, all in various states of finished. Vex'ahlia had taken up most of the table with her own food and laptop, so she had to move things around a little to make room for her study partner.

"This is a pleasant surprise," Percy sat down across from her with a smile.

"I tend to eat here often," Vex replied with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm in Syngorn Hall, so it doesn't make much sense for me to go all the way back to my room between classes. But if I camp out here when I have a few hour's break, I can eat while I study."

As all college dining halls are, The Garden was a shitty buffet that had three redeeming features. First and foremost, you could eat as much as you wanted and stay as long as you wanted. Second, if you came before noon, you could get a freshly made omelet with whatever you wanted in it. And last, but certainly not least, it had a frozen yogurt machine. Named after the fact that it had a salad bar, The Garden tried to be as healthy and fresh as its limited budget allowed. Most of them time it failed in that mission.

"I'm just here for the omelet bar," Percy said before taking a bite of said omelet. "How are you?"

"Much better now that you're here, darling," Vex joked. "I was actually just working on the calc homework, have you started yet?"

"Not really," Percy smiled sheepishly. "Care to work on it together?"

"That sounds wonderful."

* * *

In the chaos that was the first few weeks of school, Percy found himself falling into a sort of routine. He would end up at the dining hall often, looking for that signature dark braid. Apparently, Vex had stopped camping out in The Garden, as he didn't find her again. He still saw her almost every day, as they had found that in addition to having calculus together they were also in the same chemistry lecture. They would often sit in silence beside each other, taking notes and listening to the professor, before gathering their belongings and going their separate ways. Despite the near constant contact, he found himself wanting to see her more.

Percival got out his phone and typed up a text to Vex'ahlia. Then, he deleted it. Then he retyped it. He went through several re-writes before finally settling on  _"Want to grab lunch?"_ and hitting send.

Almost immediately, he had his response.  _"I'm already at Debt's Respites sharing a burger with a few friends, but you're welcome to join."_

_"I'm on my way."_

Percy booked it to the popular burger chain on campus, ordering himself a meal before surveying the food court's armada of tables for that black braid. Finally, he saw her, at a table with six other people. "Hey," he greeted, pulling up a chair.

"Hey!" Vex replied brightly. "I'm glad you came! Percy, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Percival Fredrickstein von Something de Rolo the third."

"But you can call me Percy."

The lunch was a blur of names and inside jokes that Percival half wished he had been able to take notes on. Sitting next to Vex was her twin brother Vax'ildan (which wasn't confusing at all), who was a philosophy major. Next to him was an airy redhead named Keyleth, a biology major that was also apparently in their chemistry class. Pike, a sunny blonde, was also a bio major. Despite the fact that all three girls were taking the same introductory classes this semester, they had all taken a different emphasis. Percy discovered that Vex was planning on going pre-vet, while Keyleth had an emphasis in botany and Pike was pre-med.  Next to Pike was Grog, a linebacker on the football team who was one of Pike's oldest friends. The future doctor was dwarfed by the friendly giant's hulking form, but apparently the two were practically inseparable. Finally introduced to him was Scanlan, a music major who fake proposed to Pike at least twice throughout the span of the meal. He was funny and loud and so very likable.

* * *

_You know, our entire text conversation is just calc and food._

**_That's not true._ **

**_There's also some chem in there._ **

_Darling, we never actually talk._

**_Alright._ **

**_Did you know that snails shoot darts at each other while having sex?_ **

_That's quite the ice breaker._

**_I do my best._ **

_Do you know that dolphins ejaculate at such a high velocity that if a human were to try to have sex with a dolphin, they would die?_

**_Well now I do._ **

**_Does this mean our text conversation is now food, calc, chem, and animal sex facts?_ **

_I am a biology major._

_So be prepared._

* * *

 

"Percy, help us convince Vex she needs to try and switch rooms," Keyleth implored over dinner.

Percy wasn't entirely sure how, but sometime after those burgers at Debt's Respite he had become fully integrated at the group. He had been added to a group chat entitled The SHITS, which someone had assured him was an acronym, but no one had actually explained what the acronym stood for. He ate almost all of his meals with at least some portion of the group, and they would often hang out in Scanlan's room late at night.

"Syngorn Hall is so far away. I don't like you walking across campus late at night," Pike added.

"It would be such a hassle," Vex protested half-heartedly. "I'm in the sixth floor."

"That's what Grog is for!" Scanlan announced. "We'd all help out, we can even use my car to move your stuff across campus."

"You also have a shitty roommate," Percy added.

"Et tu, Percy?" Vex said in mock scandal, placing a hand over her heart.

"I'm just saying, it would be nice to have you in Grayskull for those late night study sessions."

* * *

It took a week for her application to be accepted, but before long Percy found himself carrying boxes of Vex'ahlia's belonging to load up into Scanlan's car. She would be moving to the first floor of Grayskull Hall, the same floor that he was on. A very large part of him hoped that this meant he would get to see her even more.

"Have you found out your new roommate's name, Stubby?" Vax called back to his sister.

"Yeah, she shot me a text last night," Vex stuffed a pillow into the backseat. "Her name is Saundor, Saundor Fey."

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Saundor was tall, slender, and made of sharp edges. Vex had to admit, she was gorgeous in a dangerous way. When she came to move her stuff in, the dark haired woman was waiting expectantly for them, tapping her jet black nails on an immaculate desk.

The whole thing was rather intimidating. 

"It's nice to meet you in person," Vex'ahlia sat down a box on her bed. "I'm Vex, that's my brother Vax. And these are my friends Pike, Grog, Keyleth, Scanlan, and Percy." She pointed at each member of her group in turn. Between the seven of them, they had been able to carry in all of her belongings in one trip.

"It's so nice to finally have a roommate," Saundor smiled sweetly, standing up and giving Vex a small hug. "I'm a hugger."

Vex let out a small sigh of relief. Her last roommate hadn't really paid much attention to her. While others had found a life long friend in their roommate, like Keyleth and Pike, she had been faced with basically a brick wall. That had been one of the main reasons she had finally decided to switch, and she was happy to find that Saundor was very nice.

"Thanks for helping," Vex gave the SHITs a wink. "I'll just unpack and get to know my roommate a little better. I'll meet up with you guys later?"

"Of course," Vax drew her in for a close hug. "Let's say dinner at 7?"

"You vastly overestimate my ability to get this done," Vex laughed. 

"And you vastly underestimate Grog's hunger," her twin replied, leading the party out of the tiny room. "See you later Stubby!"

The door clicked behind her friends as they left, leaving Vex'ahlia alone with her roommate. "They seem nice," Saundor said as she returned to her spot at the desk.

"I'd like to think so," the biology major grinned, mirroring her roommates posture and pulling up her own chair. "So, roommate agreement?"

"Yes of course," the raven haired student produced the overlarge paper with the series of questions she had already answered once before.

They went through their expectations of each other. Saundor liked things neat, and Vex promised that her mess would never spill over to that side of the room. Vex had far too many 8 AM's to stay up super late, so Saundor promised she would turn off the lights and stop playing music at 11. They were both more than happy to compromise, eager to make the living situation more than bearable.

"I can already tell, we're going to make great roommates," Saundor had said as a farewell. Vex'ahlia agreed wholeheartedly. 

* * *

 

"Those two will cancel out, and the answer won't exist," Vex said emphatically, her voice getting so loud it rose above the rest of the class. They were working on one of Allura's sheets, and she and Percy could not agree on the solution. Things had become heated, and now the whole class was paying more attention to them than to their own work.

"But if you save that step to the very end, you should still be able to solve it all the way out," Percy countered, grinning at the latest installment of their rather frequent 'spirited discussions.'

"Why do all of the work if I know it's all going to cancel out in the end anyway?" She continued to argue, unwilling to back down.

"A wager then?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "The usual stakes?" The usual stakes were a quarter. In the past month, many a quarter had exchanged ownership. Vex'ahlia was currently in the lead with a net gain of 75 cents.

"How about we change it up a little," Vex smiled coyly. "Loser buys the winner food."

"Deal," Percy shook his study partner's hand.

* * *

 

The twins lay on the green next to Grayskull, the only ones out and about at this hour. They were used to seeing so many more stars, but this close to the city the light pollution dimmed all but the brightest of stars to nothingness. Still, 3 AM on a fuzzy blanket would always be their time, and their time alone.

"Percy, huh?" Vax said as he braided his sister's hair. "I see the way you look at him."

"I didn't come here to get my MRS degree," Vex'ahlia grumbled. "I'm not here to find a relationship."

"And what if one just happened to fall into your lap?"

"We are not that lucky, brother."

"I think maybe, after all this time, you deserve a little happiness."

"I have you."

"It's not the same thing."

"No," Vex sighed. "It isn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing with more of an emotionally abuse Saundor, rather than a sexually abusive one (which is what I tend to see.)


	4. Chapter 4

"Six siblings?" Vex said incredulously between bites of fries that she had reluctantly payed for.

"Three brothers, three sisters," Percy confirmed, taking a bite out of his victory burger. "And three older, three younger."

"Pelor, you're like the ultimate middle child," the biology major laughed. "You must have never had a moment of silence at your house ever."

"You'd be surprised," Percy shrugged. "We have a big house and a few hundred acres. If you look hard enough, you can always find a place to be alone."

While the pair talked the lunchtime hour away, the rest of the world faded around them. The noises of the bustling Debt's Respite faded into nothingness, so they didn't notice a familiar figure dressed all in black take the open chair beside Vex'ahlia.

"Hey Stubby," Vax said as he stole one of his sister's fries. "What are you and Freddie over here talking about?"

"Quality versus quantity," Percy gave his lunch companion a wink. "And how lucky you are to have Vex'ahlia as your sister."

"See Vax? You're lucky," the female twin laughed, giving Vax a playful nudge.

"Remind me of that next time you steal my shit."

* * *

The first full month of school ended, and fall officially begun. With the changing color of leaves came midterms, and Vex found herself spending even more time with Percy as they crammed for every upcoming test. She would beat him in Calculus, and then he would best her in chemistry. Quarters and burgers changed hands at a rapid pace as they continued to win and lose more and more outlandish bets.

They fell into a certain easy routine, no longer even having to ask if the other wanted to tag along for lunch. Of course, their entire friend group was also invited along (and almost always did come.) But as much as they tried to deny that their was nothing going on, it was obvious to anyone that looked at Percival and Vex'ahlia that they spent far more time together than with anyone else.

"You obviously like her," Percy's roommate, a fellow engineering major, said to him. "And she obviously likes you."

"Tary, things are never that simple," he said as he ran his fingers through his shock of white hair. Taryon and Percival had become quick friends, and both swore that they had won the roommate lottery. They were both cut from the same cloth, both tinkerers hailing from wealthier families. They had a great deal of common, and they both respected each other fully.

"They kind of are," Tary replied.

"We only ever talk about class and food," Percy sighed in exasperation. "And facts about animal sex, but still! She doesn't know about my crap, and I don't know about hers."

"So. Ask. Her."

"You're the worst, Taryon Darrington."

"I do try," Taryon grinned, a beat passing before inspiration struck. "You should let me meet her."

* * *

Taryon Darrington was a put-together engineering major, who wanted to specialize in robotics. He was confident, tall, and had the most glorious golden locks in the school. Vex'ahlia was a self-proclaimed mess of a biology major, with an emphasis in zoology. She was confident, gorgeous, and looked dangerous. They seemed like polar opposites, and Percival was almost scared to introduce them to each other.

Apparently, he was right to be afraid.

Somehow, the two hit it off right away. If Taryon wasn't gay, Percy would almost worry that he would steal away his Vex. The two were finishing each other's sentences and talking animatedly about games and places that Percy had never even heard of.

"I didn't know you liked Dungeons and Dragons," Percy had mumbled sullenly, too quiet for either of them to hear.

From then on, Tary became a member of their friend group. Vex and Percy half-dragged him to introduce him to the rest of the gang, but Taryon was glad that they did. Scanlan was charming and side-splittingly hilarious, Vax was kind one of the greatest listeners Tary had ever met, Keyleth was positive and delightful, and Pike was so beyond sweet. Pike had even made him flashcards to help the blond learn everyone's names. It was a good group, and the engineering major hadn't really felt at home at Tal'dorei University until he had been welcomed into the fold.

* * *

"You look tired," the words didn't hit Percy until he had said them, but as soon as those three words had tumbled out of his mouth he knew them to be true. Vex had slowly gained dark circles under her eyes and a weary sag to her shoulders.

She had also become slow.

Vex was known for her quick calculations, famously arriving at an answer before anyone else. But in today's study session, Percy was the one finishing first. At the beginning, he had been a little proud, excited to finally best Vex'ahlia. After he had beaten her at the following six problems, he had begun to watch her for clues as to what was wrong. He didn't need to be a Sherlock Holmes to find them, the tiredness practically emanated from her.

"Aren't we all?" she laughed half-heartedly. "Three exams in one week is no picnic."

"Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Both you and Vax, I swear," Vex slammed her book shut. "I'm fine, Percy."

"Tomorrow is Calc, we both know you'll do great on that one," the engineering major said, attempting a different approach.

"You're just saying that because you want to beat me."

"Or I want to ensure an equal match," Percy replied. "You're so tired you're going slow and not catching stupid mistakes. If I face you when you're like this, it won't be a true victory."

"How honorable of you, darling," Vex laughed.

"Take a nap, Vex'ahlia."

The biology major sighed loudly and hit her head against the table. "Why do you have to be so fucking persuasive?"

* * *

Vex'ahlia did, in fact, do great on the math test, but that was never really a question in Percy's mind.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is one of my first forays into fanfic writing, so I'd love to hear feedback on ways to improve.


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